Air-pump.



s. R; WILLIAMS.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

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SAMUEL R. WILLIAMS, OF OBERLIN, OHIO.

AIR-PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. \VILLIAMs, citizen of the United States, residing at Oberlin, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to air pumps and has particular reference to that class of apparatus employed for exhausting the air from receptacles of any form, the special application of the device herein illustrated and described being directed especially to the exhaustion of air from electric lamp bulbs, and similar articles.

The chief objects of the improvements which form the subject matter of this application, are :to furnish a pump of the type specified that will be simple in arrangement, eflicient in action and so constructed that it will not require unusual skill in the manufacture, and can be eco nomically built and furnished to the user for a moderate price.

A marked advantage of my improved pump is to be noted in the fact that it will begin its action at the ordinary atmospheric pressure. The fact that the pump works c l1- rectly against atmospheric pressure permlts of a novel and eflicient construction, and the simplicity of the appliance, coupled with the employment of positive mechanical movements that do not require fine adjustment, renders the apparatus strong and durable and thus not likely to get out of order.

I accomplish the desired results by means of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, and in which the details of con struction are disclosed in the following views:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved exhausting apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cistern with the cover and attached tubes removed, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of one of the buckets.

Referring to the details of the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a rectangular receptacle, supported upon a base board 6 by standards 7, and furnished with a cover 8, having a central opening 9 and two apertures 10 arranged upon opposite sides of the central opening and furnished with marginal flanges 10 to support duplicate tubes 11, 11*, which pass downward through the apertures 10 into the interior of the cistern and are removably supported in said apertures by collars 11", which rest upon the upper margins of the flanges 10 The flanges 10 are inclined toward the median line to a suitable degree to bring the upper ends of the tubes 11 into closer relation, their extremities being covered by a housing forming an exhaust chamber 12, which is entirely closed, with the exception of the mouths of the tubes 11, and'a nipple 12", the latter being adapted to receive the end of a tube (not shown) communicating with the vessel to be exhausted.

The main operative element comprises an endless chain 13 provided with suitable buckets 14, in the form of cups having flaring margins, and furnished with half links 13 which project in opposite directions from the bottom of each cup, or bucket, and are adapted to be inserted in the chain and connected with the adjacent links, in a manner common in devices of this type. I prefer to make these buckets of porcelain, enameled metal, or similar material that will withstand the corrosive action of the mercury which is the element used to seal the outlets.

The chain 13 with the inserted buckets 14 passes from the receptacle or cistern 5 up through the tube 11 to the exhaust chamber 12, where it runs over an idler 15, mounted 011 a shaft 16 and thence passes down the opposite tube 11 to the cistern. The chain is deviated in its passage through the cistern by idlers 15, supported on shafts 16, similar to the idler located in the housing 12, and in its course through the cistern said chain is carried over a driving sprocket 17 mounted on a shaft 18. This shaft is driven by a sprocket chain 19, which engages sprocket wheels 20, 20*, the former mounted on a driving shaft 20*, supported on the margins of the cistern 5, and the latter secured to the shaft 18. The driving shaft 20 is shown as operated by a crank 21, but

I do not wish to be restricted to this particular means for supplying power.

To operate the pump the cistern or receptacle 5 is filled with mercury 22, until the latter rises considerably above the lower ends of the tubes 11, 11 so as to form a seal therefor. When the cistern is supplied with the required amount of sealing fluid and the vessel which it is desired to exhaust is properly connected to the exhaust chamber 12 through the nipple 191*, the machine is ready for action. The operator then turns the crank 21, and this drives the chain up through the tube 11 and down the opposite tube 11 the buckets being so arranged upon the chain that their cavities will be uppermost when ascending and inverted when descending, as shown in the drawing, the direction of movement being indicated by the arrows, Fig. 1. As the buckets ascend they will be full of mercury, but when passing over the idler 15 in the housing 12, they will become inverted, emptying out the contained liquid, which runs back into the cistern through the tubes 11, 11, and as the buckets continue to descend in their inverted position they will each carry down a quantity of air, which is imprisoned in the bucket as the latter enters the mercury, the buckets remaining inverted and retaining the air until they reach the lowest idler 15 near the bottom of the cistern, and as they become righted in passing around this wheel, the air will escape and ascend through the liquid, as indicated at 23. The point where the buckets are emptied of their contained air is designedly located directly beneath the opening 9 so that the air thus brought down from the exhaust chamber 12 and the tubes 11,11, will escape directly into the surrounding atmosphere through said opening.

As the joints of apparatus above the lower ends of the tubes 11, 11*, are made air tight, it will be understood that the atmospheric pressure will cause the mercury to rise in the tubes in direct proportion to the quantity of air removed from the space above the mercury, and this elevation of the level will continue until the barometric height is reached, its approximate location being indicated by the dotted line 24-. \Vhile the mercury will cease to rise above the line 24, the exhaustion will continue so long as the chain is operated, or until the practical limit of rarefaction is reached.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, is

1.. In an air exhauster, a receptacle, having a sealing fluid and a discharge opening, an exhaust chamber, tubes having open ends and continuous walls extending between said receptacle and the exhaust chamber, a drive shaft, a driven shaft in the receptacle, a sprocket on the driven shaft, idlers arranged in the receptacle and the exhaust chamber, an endless chain engaging said sprocket and idlers, and having concave buckets thereon.

2. In an air exhauster, a receptacle-having a sealing fluid therein, an apertured cover for the receptacle, an exhaust chamber arranged above said receptacle, tubes extending between said chamber and thereceptacle, a drive shaft, a driven shaft in the receptacle, a sprocket on said driven shaft, idlers arranged in the receptacle and the exhaust chamber, one of the said idlers in the receptacle being lower than the said sprocket, an endless chain engaging said sprocket and idlers, concave buckets arranged in said chain, and means for operating said drive shaft.

3. In an air exhauster, the combination with a receptacle having an air discharge opening, and a sealing fluid in the receptacle, of an exhaust chamber, an inlet pipe for the said chamber, passages connecting said receptacle and the exhaust chamber, an endless chain comprising a plurality of buckets arranged in said chamber and receptacle and the connecting passages, a drive shaft, a driven shaft in the receptacle, a sprocket on the driven shaft in the receptacle engaging said chain, and idlers in the receptacle adapted to guide the chain in a vertical clirection beneath said discharge opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL R. WVILLIAMS.

Vitnesses ALFRED E. MAY, VVILLIAM G. MALLORY. 

